Broke Moms Who Pawn Purses to Pay the Bills Inspire Us to Raid Our Closets

I wandered across a question on the web today that made me stop: "Would you pawn your handbag?" The fact that there are broke women who actually are brings up a better question, y'all. Is there really anything in your closet worth selling?

If you lost your job, and putting your favorite fashions up on eBay was the best way to pay the bills, would you be able to eat or getting evicted? I'll go first. Quick stock, and I'd be out on my American Eagle-clad you-know-what. It makes me kind of sad ... and not just because I couldn't feed the family off of what's in my closet.

Advertisement

Just taking a memory walk through my closet -- what, don't you know what's in yours? -- I realized I have never really splurged on myself. The "fanciest" it gets are a Coach bag, some Seven For All Mankind jeans, a pair of Cole Haan sunglasses, and a J.Crew dress. Not exactly haute couture. And just about all (save for the dress, which is brand new, and bought under duress) were bought on sale.

My sartorial spending has always been on the thrifty side. Where my husband is like a kid in a candy store when let loose on Fashion Avenue, I'm too busy calculating the costs and weighing them -- in my head -- against the mortgage to have any fun. I'm sure a bit of it also has to do with my lack of fashion sense. The fact that I had to actually Google the spelling of Cole Haan to reference my favorite pair of sunglasses above sums me up pretty well.

But I've got a craving for the perfect pair of blue jeans that fit me "just so" that could bankrupt me if I let it. And I haven't. The jeans I'm wearing right at this very moment cost me $6.99 at a thrift store. They have a "name" brand, but even new they probably wouldn't have broken $60.

You can call me financially savvy. I guess I am. But there's something to be said for treating yourself, even if it's just for ONE thing. We're not little kids. We don't cover our fronts in chocolate ice cream stains or wipe our snot on the sleeves. We can take care of clothes. And we wear them for a long time. We don't grow out of our shoes faster than we can actually tie them.

It might even be to our financial benefit to spend a little on certain things based on the length of time we'll wear it alone, and the quality it takes for a piece of clothing to stick around. And just imagine what a pair of jeans that fits you and only you can do for your self esteem ... Maybe having something potentially pawnable in the closet isn't such a bad idea, huh?

Do a quick mental run through your closet. What, if anything, could you sell to help pay the bills?